Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → West Coast → Cesspool of the Arahura

Location: Lake Kaniere area, West Coast, New Zealand

Time Required: 1.5 – 2 hours

Distance: 6 km/3.7 miles

Red Tape/Notes: Just after the Arahura River Bridge, go through the heavy iron gate (you’ll need to open it and close it behind you) and follow the rough road as far as you can go.

What’s Nearby?: Hokitika Gorge, Hokitika Glowworm Dell, Tunnel Terrace Walk

This ironically named spot (clearly not even remotely cesspool-esque) is generally advertised as taking around an hour; these people are either speed demons or were able to drive further along the rough four-wheel drive track to the river. The road has been washed out earlier on and now has a ravine running through it – you would need an extremely intense vehicle to get across it. No big deal, the extra distance is easy rolling hills along the former road, and it’s scenic enough. After some ups and downs, you’ll drop down into a little pasture valley with a river running through it, where the road is washed out again. From here, you’ll head uphill, following beside the water for part of the time. The road was extremely muddy in parts and often covered in water when we did the trek in the spring.

You’ll eventually end up down in a nice flat area by the water (this used to be the carpark for the Arahura/Styx River Track before the road washed out), where you can walk down for a dip in the ol’ cesspool or just enjoy the views of the scenic swingbridge and beautiful blue water. The official trail starts at the end of the road, and heads steeply up a slick, rocky path (helpful chains are provided – I scoffed at using them until I slipped repeatedly and slammed my shins into the rocks) to provide access to the excellent swingbridge. The trail continues on the other side, but there’s nothing notable to see for some time, so unless you’re continuing on for a longer trip, you may as well turn around and head back. We ran into a couple of guys who had been hunting for greenstone and they had an absolutely stunning piece large than my hand – made me wish we had more time to poke around and find some for ourselves!

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → West Coast → Cesspool of the Arahura